A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below. Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

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May 25, 2017

Hope, Girlfriends, and Gullfriends

Hello, Stamplings!Before we begin today, I just want to reach out to my friends in England who have been impacted by the horrific bombing at Ariana's concert in Manchester. You are in my thoughts and prayers. There is so much anger we all feel after these cowardly acts of terrorism, but there are no words to express the depth of outrage we feel when our children are targeted. As so many others have said, the best revenge is to carry on and not allow the fear these acts evoke to paralyze us from living our lives to the fullest.~~~Lots of photos today, so once you grab your beverage, let's start with a little card of HOPE. We can all do with some hope about now.

I love embossing this "Hello Lovely" stamp from Concord and 9th in white and painting it with my Ziggies. I think it pairs nicely with the hope die from W Plus 9, which was colored with orchid hues of alcoholic ink on glassy paper. Sorry, glossy paper.

She is every bit as lovely as I imagined she would be and I was so pleased that we could meet! It was like we'd known each other always and our time together was waaaaaaaay too short! If you don't know Marybeth, be sure to click on her name which will take you to her stunning blog. Her talent is awe-inspiring!

~~~

We traveled home via the coast and stopped for a few days in Santa Barbara. Our second highlight was taking a boat out to the Channel Islands where we hiked Anacapa, the smallest island:

The Mister failed to mention that in order to get UP to the island, we had to climb up from the boat 157 steps! And after we reached the top, we still had to climb a hill!

I guess it was best that he sprung it on me just before we went or I would have fretted myself into a tizzy. I don't like heights and I have mobility tissues, but after three wodkas, I just breezed to the top! Just kidding, I didn't have any wodka (good idea, though!) and I did have to take breaks, but I made it!! And it was so worth it!

Peppered along the entire island are Western Gulls who were busy nesting - some of them right along the trail. According to our docent, there are no "sea gulls," just "gulls." Don't tell Jonathan Livingston that.

She also said that the red dot you see on the under side of a gull's beak is a "target" for the little chicks to aim for when they want to get fed! (Maybe they aren't born with a sense of smell or they would pick up on that fishy odor, doncha think?)Here you can see that their eggs are speckled! Notice the little guy just beginning to emerge:

The docent said that only three nests have hatched so far this year, so it was a treat to come upon this one with two speckled chicks:

Mom told me off, but just look how cute they are!

And, finally, on our way back to the mainland, we were treated to a show by lots of playful dolphins and two blue whales!

The whales wouldn't breach for us, but they are a pretty rare sight, so it was amazing just to see these mammoth critters surface and sail alongside for a while!

What a lovely post today Darnell! I am so saddened by the events in Manchester, a bit too close to home this time and so completely senseless and utterly devastating for all the families involved. Your cards are beautiful - we must never give up hope.... the coloured flowers are gorgeous!

How wonderful that you got to meet Marybeth too!! Time with crafty friends is never long enough!! I spent Tuesday with my crafty friend Margie, we only meet once a year and they day just went in a flash - much to quickly.

I want to visit Anacapa now, it looks like such a beautiful place to visit (even with all those steps)!! Your photos are wonderful and how lovely to be treated to the dolphins and whales too - it sounds like a perfect visit!! Hugs, Annie xxxx

What lovely words Darnell, thank you for thinking of us here in the UK. My daughter and SiL live on the outskirts of Manc and Joe works in the center. You can't keep the Manc people down, work went on as usual Tuesday morning. On a brighter note, love your flower bouquet, so pretty.The trip to the island looked amazing and well done conquering your problem with heights! :)

Oh Darnell it is always insightful and fun to come visit your blog! I totally agree on your comments about the terrible acts of violence going on in the world today ... Lord knows something has to change! Your adventure photos are awesome ... what fun! And I LOVE the designs of both your cards! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Double D ‘Flowers Galore’ challenge! We hope you’ll come back often.

Your card of hope is beautiful Darnell, lovely coloring! How wonderful that you get to get together with Marybeth, she's such a sweet blogging friend and has a wonderful caring heart!! Looks like a wonderful trip, One my photographer hubby would enjoy!!

Beautiful post Darnell...thank you for taking me on your journey...I loved it...but I was so whacked when I got to the top of those steps Darnell!...........and for you meeting Marybeth too...so lovely!...for you both. As for your cards...wowsers..........both so beautiful, so pretty...love them. Hugs xx

Hi DarnellSad times but hopefully good will prevail.Your cards are marvellous and little beacons of loveliness in dark days.Well done you for managing to get to the top of the island. If Mr D did that to me, his punishment would be to piggyback me up there lol!Always a joy to meet craft buddies.Best wishes. Ang x

The Hope cards are both beautiful. We all need hope everyday no matter what we are facing. Sending hope to Manchester for all they are going through. Your trip pictures are great and I'm so happy I didn't have to do those steps and still got to see the view. What a treat to see the babies right up close. How wonderful you got to meet Marybeth. She does lovely cards and has a great blog. Sounds like you had a perfect trip.

I love your beautifully coloured flowers and we all need hope, and then your embossed dies look wonderful on that really pretty paper. How great to meet up with Marybeth and then your few days by the coast which looks beautiful in your lovely photos, and the gull chicks and the dolphins and blue whales!! Wow, that must have been fantastic. x

Your 'hope' card is so appropriate for this day and age. I'm certain that if every adult in the world were polled, 99.9% would want to live in peace without even a hint of violence. Shame on those who feel the need to kill the innocents. Your card reflects hope and peace beautifully. Your second card is so darn clever! DP with an added sentiment, nicely die cut. You're brilliant!!! And man oh man!! You got to meet Marybeth!!! How cool is that??!!! I'll admit to being a little jelly about that, lol!! Looks like your travels around Santa Barbara were delightful. Amazing photographs, my friend. Someday, I'd love to retrace your steps, well, maybe not all those 'steps,' but you know what I mean! Have a great day darlin'. Miss you tons. Bev

Gosh, you sure colored up this bouquet all pretty with the white embossing and pastel hues. One of the most gorgeous stamps in all of Stamp Land! And love what you did with the beautiful paper on card #2, as well. We sure can use some hope long about now. My heart goes out to all those who are suffering from the incident in Manchester. I really enjoyed the pictures from your trip along the coast, too. Wish I was there. It's been a while since we did a road trip. We're going to the dump today. Does that count? Bonus that you got to stop and visit your Bloggie friend, too!

You wrote beautiful words here about what happened in Manchester. I hope there will be much stricter security now since nuts are everywhere. Love your first card and the softness of it-very uplifting...I have to get white embossing powder. I love the romantic feel of your second one-very pretty. Love your pictures but there is no way I could have climbed up those steps and not freak out....unless I had 3 bottles of vodka-hahahaaa

With your visitor and little trip (hopefully not up the steps or hill) I'm surprised you've had time to craft...and so beautifully. Love your gorgeous painted floral (I'm nuts about that stamp) and really impressed with the lovely patterned paper card. It's expertly pieced together. Of course I know of Marybeth...see her little masterpieces all the time. Isn't it wonderful she could visit you...had no idea, however, that she was so tall. As for your hike...I'd have to be plied with wodka to attempt that climb. I know it's supposed to be healthy and it was when I was younger and more nimble but my old muscles keep telling me that flat is a better angle for my feet.

Beautiful cards with a lovely message. I did smile at your glassy paper. At least it wasn't gassy paper, that'd be a whole other problem!Lovely to hear of your travels and that you got to meet up with another buddy. Take care, Cara x

Beautiful cards Darnell, the first one is so pretty - lovely pastel colours. I love the second one, such a great idea to emboss your beautiful patterned paper.Super photographs, wonderful scenery.Pauline - Crafting with Cotnob x

Darnell for president!!!! :D :D Great post with amazing words and toughts! Hope never must die! Hope and love are two things that word needs so muchYour cards are both really wonderful and I pinned my favourite: the first one, so sweet and delicate! https://it.pinterest.com/pin/534802524491654955/Amazing photos of your trip!!

Wow! What an exciting time you've had, Darnell! Wish I could have been tagging along to see all these awesome sights and meet Marybeth too! Love your cards! Your flower arrangement is beautiful and so hopeful! And I LOVE how you doctored up the DP!

Wonderful and beautiful cards of hope and so appropriate at this time with the bombing in Manchester. I too feel such anger when I think of all the young people who were targeted. But I am so glad you are having a wonderful time and that you got to meet up with a blogging friend and see such wonderful places. Enjoy the journey!

Goodness, that's one gorgeous 'hello lovely' card, Darnell ... love that stamp and you've made it completely shine with your gorgeous colouring and bold, hopeful sentiment! Clever use of that beautiful DP with the delicate script and butterflies ... calm and serene and such a perfect sentiment!

Wow, you and Marybeth got to meet IRL ... even for a short time, that must've been such a joy for you both! Fabulous photo of those sweet smiling faces! OK, now I understand how you hiked up an island ... and all those steps ... and am bowing even further in awe at such an achievement. So worth it for those wonderful views and for the opportunity to see the gull families up close. How special to have been escorted by dolphins and blue whales ... such a memorable trip for so many reasons!

Wow, the cards were amazing enough---love them both, just beautiful---but your travel pics were the highlight for me! Who knew about that little red dot under a gull's beak? So interesting! Thanks for sharing these fun creations, and tidbits of avian trivia, with us at the SIP this week!

What a wonderful trip you had! Love the photos of the gulls and their eggs!

Two beautiful card - gorgeous watercolouring in the first, and "hope" is such a perfect sentiment at this sad time in the world. And the second card was a wonderful way to use up some pp - I'm inspired to CASE it with some of mine!

O my dear, what a fabulous post! Thank you for sharing wonderful photos. It was worth to climb to the top of the island! I like both of your cards. Wonderful coloured bouquet on the first one and amazing use of stiched dies on patterned paper. I agree with your. We don't need to have fear because of unneccessary attacts. Let us hope for the better world!

WOW. What beautiful pics of the island. So glad you shared with us and you made it to the top :) Such a great experience it must have been.How fun to meet your bloggy friend.And finally lovely cards - I love the colouring on the first and the way you used your supplies on the second - very clever.

Darnell both cards are lovely, the trip looks fabulous - you know I cannot resist a bird or baby birds! - but the frosting on the cake is your visit with Marybeth!! You are very lucky birds, yourselves!=]

Your hope card is just gorgeous Darnell! So soft & very pretty! Love the stitched detail on your PP too! Thanks for sharing such fabulous photos! You are one brave lady because I too have major height issues & there is no way I could have done those stairs without the vodka!

I'm so jealous of your trip to the island & that you got to meet Marybeth in person! Congrats to your niece & hopefully you won't really keep her in business--haha! That floral stamp is on my wishlist, but haven't let myself get it yet, so I love seeing your gorgeous card, Darnell!

I'm back! In all the excitement of hearing about your visit with Marybeth and your adventure with all that island wildlife (and the ascent), I totally missed that you joined us at Time Out, Darnell ... so happy to have you playing along with us with this beauty! SLYAMYMAHAHF! Big hugs & bisous, Anita :)

What a gorgeous pair of cards Darnell - love the second one with the embossing!! Very clever.I am still puffing and panting at just the thought of those steps and the climb... wodka would have been a great help, unless you slipped.... loved all your photos too - thanks for sharing them,BlessingsMaxine

Gorgeous card Darnell!! Your coloring with your Zigs is fantastic!! I agree that we need more hope in today's world. Love your photos from your trip. Thank you so much for joining us this week at Stamp Ink Paper :)

This card has just the words and look that is the only thing we can say about a crazy and dumm young man who was the reason for so many tears in so many families...It is all we have; hope that this will go again and that we have to keep on living and doing what we want to do and so give the signal that this kind of people are so dumm...Love all the soft colours and thank you for joining us again at TIME OUT!Looks like a real bonus to take the total climb; what a great place! And beautiful pics... Hugs, Gerrina

Hi Darnell,what a very gorgeous cards and their designs are beautiful and pretty.Your work is always so very wonderful and awe inspiring.Great photos of your blog friend and your journey.Love and big crafty hus from my house to yours. Jenny L.

Such lovely cards Darnell and hope is something that unites us all against this sometimes cruel world. It looks like you had a corker of a trip and how would derful for you to catch sight of dolphins and whales xx

Oh Darnell, I was captivated by every word and picture. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us. It's no surprise that Marybeth is as lovely (inside and out) as she is through her comments. And so, (she says) are you! Your card is a beautiful reminder of how we all express the good and the sad that is life, through our creations. Hope is what we all share for this crazy world. Hugs!

You are a master with the ziggies, Dolly! Your flowers are gorgeous ... so much colour and perfect with your hope sentiment. Your second card is also beautiful, more of a vintage look with your beautiful patterned paper.

It's great that you got to meet another blogging buddy. I bet you and MaryBeth had lots of laughs together.

Kevin was smart to wait until the last minute to let you know about the hike. :) I'm so proud of you ... that is really high, but I bet you felt good to get to the top. An amazing view, I'm sure. And so exciting to see those baby gulls and the whales. Sounds like a great adventure. Lolly xx

Thank you for your hope Darnell, it's a beautiful image and so perfectly coloured with the Zigs. It has been a very sad time and even more sadly a lady from my daughter's school was killed. She was there picking up her daughter from the concert. Whilst we didn't know her, it hits home at just how close it was. Manchester is only an hour away. I shall live with hope from your beautiful card today. Xx

Both your hope-cards are absolutely beautiful Darnell and so appropriate. Well said too about how we should respond to these acts! Wise words. Such beautiful use of Zigs in your first card, I've also been playing with white embossing and water coloring with this image but my makings haven't found their way into a card yet... Beautiful work! Great photos too, your trip seems to have been amazing. Thanks for joining us at TIME OUT!

The cards are lovely and how clever to use designer paper and dies. I think you are starting summer early by coming to SoCA, visiting family and hiking on a big, high rock in the middle of the Pacific. I'll pass. Isn't it super to meet blogging friends?Hhow fun for the two of you. Happy Memorial Day, Barb

Beautiful cards and photos. How fun to see some of your travels, and I am so glad you got to meet Marybeth. Always such a treat to met bloggy friends in real life. Thanks so much for playing along with us at Time Out with your beautiful floral hope card.

Your cards are both stunning, especially the first one for hope! I love how you colored that one, and using PP for the 2nd was genius! I love all those photos from your brief trip and I'm so glad you had a great time meeting another blogger you know! Life is so good sometimes :)

Just like you to think of others Darnell, such a lovely lady :) That is one beauty of a card too. I love the Webster's butterfly pages but your stitched die makes it look really special, great cards both! Fancy you climbing up so far, all good exercise but quite a challenge, well done, fabulous photos too. Jonathan Gull would be most upset so I agree let's not mention it!!Sorry for my absense, blogging and I seem to have fallen out of favour, dunno what's going on, bemused look on my face now LOLSending big hugs to you, Gay xxx

Oh Darnell, thank you for sharing your amazing trip and beautiful photos with us~you are quite the adventurer! The pic of you and Marybeth is lovely and BTW, she says the same very complimentary things about meeting up with you~~not surprised at all! You both have to be as awesome in real life as you are in Blogland! Your card is stunning and your words express such truth and hope. These sure are horrific and scary times for our world ;-(

I was a little late finding out about the bombings (haven't had tv on) but it sure made me mad that they would target children like that! We can't do anything, that is best left to the pros, but we can't stop living either, so I agree in that we all have to keep living life and not let them win at making us cower in a corner of our home. Your cards are stunning Auntie and just what we needed to see. Yep, hope is what we have and will hold on to hope. What a way to use that gorgeous pattern paper Auntie! I would have never though to do that!! Oh goodness, how fun that you got to meet another blogger! Marybeth looks like a sweetheart for sure and I wish you had had more time together. 157 steps?!!!! I would have died!!! lol I would have had to have rests going up all those steps. I'm not sure how many steps down it is to the Natural Bridge in VA, but that was a lot of steps too. lol Yes, those views made all those steps worthwhile!!! Just stunning! I love the gulls too and the baby's match their eggs shells. lol How cute!!! But more amazing is your views of the dolphins and the blue whales, WOW!!!! How lucky you were to see the blue whales Auntie! I'm so glad you had a great time in Santa Barbara. Always wanted to go there since they came out with the soap years ago. lol Hugs, Brenda

Your flowers are lovely, Darnell, and lovelier still is the sentiment. We all need hope. I'm glad you had time to meet with Marybeth. It's never long enough when we get together with blog friends. You take such wonderful photographs and are a fount of knowledge. It's always a pleasure to read your blog.

Your surprise trip to the islands sounds worth ever step! What amazing pictures you were able to get! We just watched a show on the islands a few weeks ago. It was so fun meeting you IRL and I am so happy that you looked up the distance from the graduation to my house! I am sure it was a beautiful graduation day! Hugs! For some reason I thought I already left a comment , If I did then I have lost it:) my mind!

lovely cards Darnell and what very thoughtful and true words as all would agree.I love your colouring, white embossing is always so nice with florals.

Your trip looks amazing and wonderful photos you've shared, the chicks are so cute, and what beautiful view, well done for making it to the top 157 steps and all. It was well worth it to share the photos with us all :-)Thank you and big hugs Andrea x

Gorgeous cards and stunning photos. I too hate heights but would have made the ascent for that view... then gone down with my eyes closed while clinging to someone in front's shoulders. Grin.Hugs,Em xoxox

Such beautiful cards again Dee and thank you for sharing with us over at 'The Flower Challenge' too.Love your other photographs also, you have been a busy bee traveling.Thanks for the best wishes for the horrid bombing in Manchester too,we used to live very near there. No words to describe how the relatives and friends of lost ones must feel right now.Sending hugs your way my lovely friend! Vee xx

WOW, such a lovely post Darnell ! You made me dream and travel ! Your card is absolutely beautiful, I love this stamp set and you coloured it so beautifully ! Fortunately we still have hope ! It must be so great to meet IRL a bloogie friend, you're great together on the picture, so happy ! And this trip, OMG, it must have been so wonderful ! I've been lucky to see whales but never blue ones, as you say the are a pretty rare sight ! Wonderful pictures and I'm sure great memories which will make you forget all these steps you had to climb !Thanks so much for sharing Darnell ! Hugs xx

Both your 'hope' cards are gorgeous! Thank you for thinking of us here in the UK - it was a terrible incident and we certainly can't let these people win! How lovely you got to meet Marybeth, I will hop over and visit her blog, you both look gorgeous in the photo! Your trip looks awesome, if rather daunting with all the climbing! You did really well! Fab piccies and how cool you saw whales! Hugs. xxx

Darnell, your hope card is beautiful! The die dies pair beautifully with the flowers. I was so delighted to see your name in the entries at Where Creativity Meets c9. Thanks for playing along. And how fun that the beautiful patterned paper did most of the work on the second card. What a neat place to hike (minus the steps), but the birds were so neat. AND how amazing that you got to meet Marybeth!!! A dream of mine for sure.

WOWZERS!!! Fabulous post! You always make me smile and laugh out loud!

The pictures of your trip are AWESOME....especially the wee baby gulls! Looks like it was quite a hike, but obviously well worth it! I broke out in a sweat just reading your post!

Ooops...just about forgot why I stopped by.... your cards are STUNNING. The 'hope' card is beyond beautiful! The colors are awesome! The butterfly card is just as sa-weet! It's amazing how much a little bit of texture adds to a card!

Just love your hope card. The second one is gorgeous too, I never think to add interest to the paper with dies. Your trip sounds amazing, don't think I would have been too enthusiastic about the steps and hill though.

As always I am way behind on your posts.. this time due to a horrendous bad back and then a very lovely holiday. Your trip looks amazing, I would have loved to see the dolphins and blue whales - what an absolute treat that must have been! Not so much the walk up the hill though! I sympathise as we have been in Lake Como and hills abound aplenty there, so I had butt ache for the first few days. Onto your cards... I am desperate to get my hands on the Hello Lovely stamp set (it's always sold out here), but one day I will get my mitts on it and then will struggle to create anything new with it! Am also looking for some lovely big bold word dies, so that one from Wplus9 is food for thought. Thanks Darnell as always for sharing your cardmaking and other life with us - I always love to see what you are upto! xx

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About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 47 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!